23 women driving excellence in the South African motor industry

Join us as we celebrate women steering change in the motor industry this August. Our series of Women’s Month profiles features dynamic professionals from all sectors, including retail, management, manufacturing and more.

I completed my honours in International Relations and Political Risk Analysis at Stellenbosch, then started out in higher education, working with young student leaders and building leadership development programmes. Watching people grow into confident leaders never got old. Then I made what looks, on paper, like a strange pivot: into renewable energy and e-mobility. I joined Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE) in a government relations role, then moved into stakeholder management and business development. Today I spend my days building partnerships across South Africa’s EV ecosystem, from OEMs and dealerships to fleet operators and commercial partners. It’s a fast-moving space, and it sits right at the intersection of people, policy and innovation. That’s exactly where I want to be.

Ask me what a “typical” day looks like and I’ll laugh, because there isn’t one. I could start the morning in a meeting with OEM executives about a new partnership, spend the afternoon brainstorming a campaign with our comms team, grab an hour picking our engineers’ brains about the tech stack, and end the day on the road at a dealership or meeting a potential partner. At its core, though, my role comes down to one thing: relationships. Understanding what people need, spotting the opportunity, and connecting the right people to make it happen.

Education is probably the biggest challenge. Electric mobility is still new territory for a lot of South Africans, so there are a lot of myths to unpack, whether that’s range, charging or affordability. Getting people from sceptical to curious is a huge part of what I do. The flip side is that this industry moves so fast, I’m learning something new every single day too. New vehicles, new tech, new business models. You genuinely can’t get bored. But the biggest reward is building something that feels authentically South African. We have some of the best solar resources in the world, so an EV charging network powered by our own sunshine just makes sense. That’s sustainability rooted in local opportunity, not imported from somewhere else.

I also love how dynamic the role is. One week I’m deep in strategy, the next I’m on the road, meeting new people or helping a partnership come to life. If you like variety, this industry delivers.

More intentional collaboration between the public and private sector, honestly. South Africa has real potential to lead in the green economy, but we won’t get there working in silos. Government, business and industry need to move with a shared vision. We also need to make electric mobility feel accessible, not aspirational. The more people understand the technology and see it becoming part of everyday life, the faster adoption grows. And I’d love to see more women stepping into leadership across the industry, across every department. The future of mobility needs to reflect the people it’s built to serve.

Current car: Ford Fiesta. Dream car: Lamborghini Revuelto.